I2P International: 2003 Judges

2003 I2P® International Judges

Carol Williams - CEO and president of Trendsetter Electronics. In 1994 with 14+ years in Electronics Distribution and $10,000 in personal savings, Carol Williams, launched Trendsetter Electronics from her garage. Trendsetter Electronics is a regional distributor of passive electro-mechanical components specializing in complex design applications that require a thorough understanding of vendor technologies. Trendsetter is headquartered in Round Rock, TX.

Paul Tobias - Managing Partner with Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati' s Austin office. He specializes in helping technology and emerging growth companies form and operate businesses, raise capital through private and public offerings, and buy and sell companies. Paul provided counsel to companies or underwriters on public offerings by @Home, BEA Systems, Inet Technologies, and Mission Critical Software. He has helped numerous technology companies raise venture capital, including Banderacom, ClearCommerce, Corrent, Elegiant, Factory Logic Software, Fuego, Hire.com, Partnerware, Phiware, SoloMio, Spatial Communications, Surgient Networks, Times n Systems, WaveSet, Wayport, WhisperWire, and White Rock Networks.

Norm Schumaker - Chairman, CEO, and President of Molecular Imprints and is also President and CEO of FOReTEL Associates, Ltd. located in Austin, Texas, which he founded. FOReTEL focuses on technology assessment, financial assistance and business implementation for small high technology companies. FOReTEL Associates entered into an agreement with Molecular Imprints, Inc. to develop an ongoing company to commercialize a new lithography technology owned by the University of Texas in 2001. FOReTEL Associates provided seed capital for Molecular Imprints and has helped raise over $12,000,000 in first funding. Molecular Imprints is currently viewed as the leader in the emerging imprint market. FOReTEL Associates provided the initial investment capital for nLine Corporation in Austin, TX in 1999. Dr. Schumaker, as Chairman and CEO, restructured the initial company, developed the Formal Business Plan, completed an $11,000,000 round of venture funding, created a management team, acquired space and set up the corporate structure before leaving to identify new technologies in 2000. Dr. Schumaker founded EMCORE Corporation in 1984 and led the Company as Chairman, CEO and President until December 1996 when the Company finalized its IPO. EMCORE has a current market capitalization of in excess of $ 500 Million.

Charles Shields - Charles Shields has 25 years of business experience advising senior management of major international corporations, health care organizations, foreign governments and The World Bank. He currently works as an advisor and interim executive in high tech and health care start up operations.
As a commercial diplomat in Europe, he assisted over 400 Euro firms planning entry or expansion into the US market, including strategic planning, feasibility studies, mergers, acquisitions, joint ventures, licensing and technology transfers. As President of Swedish State Industries, Western Hemisphere, he directed strategic planning, marketing, distribution, licensing, technology transfers and M/A activities for 23 divisions. Shields served as a consultant to The World Bank, advising 5 South American governments for administrative organization.
Shields has founded several high tech engineering firms which provide systems design, integration, installation and training for the electronics, biomedical, automotive, printing, metal fabrication, communications and other industrial sectors. Under his direction, these firms have installed over 900 systems in 60 countries, on 4 continents for over 300 of the Fortune International 500 firms. Shields has served on the Boards of Directors of over 45 domestic and international companies.

Hosts

Partners and Sponsors

Selig Fund in Entrepreneurial Studies

Roden Center of Entrepreneurship